Thoughts, fiction, photography…located slightly to the left of reality

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Going through a bit of a rough time here on the left – a poorly-timed and Ambien-fueled Facebook post has my knickers all in a twist.

And I can’t – for the life of me – stabilize the emotional imbalance this has created.

On the plus side – the moment I dragged this picture out from the T&T’s ‘G-Spot’-ted past the earworm which provoked it’s creation started Ozzy just a-crooning in my head – so yes – silver lining and all that. Hopefully, echoes of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ are now cycling through your mind, too.

I like to share earworms…

I recently had my astrological chart looked up. Aparently, my logic and my emotional centers are directly opposite each other, one with the sun in residence, the other with the moon. I guess this means I need to strike a delicate balance between logic and emotion.

and when that balance gets all teeter-totter-y? It sucks.

I find myself wildly gyrating between ‘pay attention to it later’ and ‘I H.U.R.T.’ – which is, on top of the freaking situation that GOT me swinging – causing further bouncing between the two.

I need space. I need a galaxy-worth of empty vacuum between me and the rest. Now how to I tell him?

Have I mentioned lately that I was infected with the photography bug a few years ago – and that as a result, I suffer from an obsessive desire to point various lenses at strange, twisted, ordinary or really beautiful things? That this illness additionally manifests as an almost manic need to show these images to everyone who can stand a chance-encounter with my blog or my Facebook page?

There. Photography is a disease. Does that make my camera a drug?

Last year, after the frenzy of Christmas had died away to the cold doldrums of January in Wisconsin, I started browsing the web to alleviate the boredom. The trouble started when I found my browser looking at cameras.

When all else fails…blame the computer!

Big cameras…complete with big price tags. Cameras with them scary interchangeable lens systems and multiple menus and complex books for how to operate them. In February, I dragged my credit card out of my wallet, and made it (well, the company who issued it, really) rather happy by using it to adopt a Canon Rebel. Since then, I’ve had a lot of fun pointing it at the aforementioned strange things.

Now…here comes the hard part. Going back through the files in my computer, I’ve chosen the “Dirty Dozen” – my 12 favorites, shot with the new camera. These are the ones that I Ooooooh’d and Ahhhhh’d over when I saw what I’d captured in the small view screen, and continued to get all Oooey-gooey over when they came out of the camera and onto my computer screen…

Of all these shots – only one was manipulated beyond simple straightening or cropping in ‘shop…and even that one was merely a simple change of background. No colors, pixels, or lighting adjustments were made to any of the Dirty Dozen.

Do you know how HARD it was to pick only 12????

The first one is obvious – I see it every time I take a look at the T&T. This is the shot that started the blog…got me back into writing…and eventually, introduced me to all of you. This is the only picture in the group where I did major adjustments in ‘shop – I took the teapot on the rocks, clipped it from its original background, and dropped it in front of the waves. Both teapot and wave images were by my hand, taken on the same day, at the same location – which is why they fit well together – I didn’t have to balance lighting values.

This next one was the inaugural launch of the Canon – the SQO and band-mates had a show in Mid-March – their first live event in over a year. the Canon was primed and ready to catch fantastic images!

This is actually a shot taken when the headliner band was on stage – a group called the Black Moods based in Tempe, AZ. They actually toured all the way up here – in the uncertainty of Spring in Wisconsin (yea, I was impressed) to introduce themselves to the world. This is actually a shot of the lead singer’s hair, as he flipped it around behind the mic.

Let’s go a bit further in the year – June. June 13th, to be exact. Friday, June 13th. We had a full moon due to come up that night, and those who follow the heavenly bodies declared that this would be a yellow, honey-colored globe rising. Thus…the Honey Moon.
I celebrated this celestial event by heading to the same beach where the T&T shot was taken – this time at night. While I was waiting for the moon to make her appearance, I squeezed off this fantastic reflective shot of the Electric Company plant.

And when the moon finally rose? I had the SQO capture the whole thing in his hand.

Sadly, this was the end of the little teacup featured quite heavily in the early days of the T&T on Google – Friday the 13th reared its ugly head, and caused the teacup to shatter on the cement walkway.

Skipping forward another month – we have a family thing every year in July up at my Dad’s place on Lake Reinhart. I did get coerced into taking some of the stilted, stiff, wooden family groupings (which weren’t even considered for the Dirty Dozen) I detest, but then I got to aim the lens at nature and the landscaping. Three of this day’s shooting made the list. This one is a favorite bokeh shot.

Dad built his own ornamental pond in his yard, and decked it out with a small bridge, fountains, and ancient, rusty outdoorsy things. I’ve always had an obsession with water and reflective surfaces, but in this shot, I didn’t focus on the water in the pool, instead concentrating on the spray of fluid jetting up from the fountain.

The last shot from the reunion at the lake was my oldest son. He used to skateboard until an unfortunate spill from his board resulted in breaking his ankle in 3 places. While I had hoped he would find a nice, safe hobby to replace throwing himself high in the air, allowing gravity to drag him back -hard- to the ground, he took up spinning bundles of Kevlar, soaked in kerosene and set on fire, around his body as he danced. Seeing though this wasn’t enough to give me a mild heart attack, he attempted again to halt my bodily functions by actually spitting flames.

At one point in the day, he discussed how his hobby was not as hazardous as skating. The reply? “Dude…you’re breathing fire!”

And speaking of fire – in September, the kid’s fire tribe held their last meet of the year. Because I had shared the fire shot from the lake widely on Facebook, I was invited to point the camera at their group as they played with flame. Out of that series, this one, and the one below, made the ‘Dozen.’

After this shoot, I realized one major thing. The shots taken earlier in the evening were great – as the night wore on, shots were less likely to be sharp – the reason? Fatigue. The arms start to get tired holding the camera up, and start to shake. When taking shots in a dark location – any shaking is transmitted to the image. Off I went to the ‘net in search of a new rig – the shoulder harness. I can’t wait until the spinners do their thing again, as I’ll be ready to be steady throughout the night.

October rolled around, fading the greens of summer to the autumn palette of tans, reds, browns, and yellows. I took one final stroll down the Waukesha Riverwalk and up Main Street to catch the Autumn feeling.

And, finally, November. The Feastaval. I have to include this one in the ‘Dozen,’ because I absolutely love the shadow which appeared in the light of the staff…it’s sharp and crisp and painfully in focus. The staff’s path created whirlpools of vibrant color.

**Whew**

I’m spent. Reviewing all the shots I’ve taken over the last year, even narrowing it down to ONLY the Canon shots, and then having to pick the best of the best…let’s just say I won’t be volunteering for any judging anytime soon.

I’ll fill you in on that story later – it’s long, involved, and defiles 😮 an undisclosed, sandy location.

… got some shirts for Christmas. Not just any shirts, mind you. These were soft cotton blend T-shirts. What was on those shirts made them special – priceless, even. Printed on these amazing cotton chest-coverers were a screen print of a Dalak on one and the T.A.R.D.I.S. on the other (Doctor Who fans in the reading audience may begin drooling now…). The REAL value of these shirts was the story behind them.

These weren’t some mass-produced, off-the-rack, let’s spend 5 minutes and find a gift apparel…these were made to order. Dave’s friend found a local screen-print artist, floated the artwork ideas, and paid the artist to craft the screens then used to print the art onto the chest of the shirts.

THIS is what happens when one thinks outside the capitalism box and aims to support the local economy. It was a wonderful present, and I’m happier indeed for knowing this gentleman is a friend of my SQO.

Soooo… we simply GOTTA show these wonderful creations off to the world…GO GRAB THE CAMERA!

And after a couple of quick clicks, the camera gets plugged into the computer, so he can share the T-Shirts with the world according to Facebook.

Holy crap. I’ve got old stuff on here!

Anyone else have this happen? You take a short series of shots because the muse points your vision at something you HAVE to take a picture of, you Oooooooh and Ahhhhh at the little view-screen on the back of the camera, and then tuck the camera away, completely forgetting the neat images you’ve caught?

Yea…me too. All. The. Time.

I’ve got shots of the moon & cloud formations, taken in the fall, which didn’t turn out so well. DELETE!

I’ve got shots of the candlelight shadows on the wall. Looked good on the view-screen, not so much excitement on the computer screen. DELETE!

I’ve got some random pictures of the cats being cats. Cute, but I’ve got terabytes of the same. DELETE!

I’ve got shots of me in my new over-the-shoulder camera rig. GAWD! There are 230(ish) reasons I stay BEHIND the camera.

DELETE!DELETE!DELETE!DELETE!DELETE!

I’ve got shots from the Feastival, which was the day after Thanksgiving…Ooooh.

This wasn’t a short, random shoot, and I remember several moments of pure delight as shots were captured – so I SHOULD have been excited to play with the SOOC images and tweak to perfection. But the commute to and from was longish, late in the evening, and I had a wicked cold that weekend – so I’m gonna let that be my excuse for not immediately pulling the images from the camera.

That’s my story…and I’m sticking to it!

Ever have so much fun you go up in a little ‘poof’ of light?

The Feastival is a yearly event hosted by a local band and spinning tribe at the Concord House in Concord, Wisconsin – a tiny little unincorporated town mid-way between Madison and Milwaukee. The House itself had its humble beginnings as a pole building for turkey farming before being turned into this very rustic dance/reception hall…and the family who run the House have been in the hospitality business for generations – so they KNOW how to host a rocking-good party.

The kids are well-immersed in the spinning/fire tribe that have made this an annual event – and this year convinced me to tag along. As the weather had gotten cold, and the heater in their car isn’t working too well, the invite was part entreaty (pleeeeeeeeease don’t make us go alone and freeze our butts off all the way to Concord) part bribery (there’s food, music, alcohol, and a chance to point your camera at new things!) and part meet-the-parents (I’d not been introduced to the DIL(2B)’s side of the family yet).

How could I say no?

It was a great time. I got to meet-the-parents (chilling for parents as well as the younger couples!!!) – availed myself of the array of yumminess spread by all members of the tribe (the Feastival is also a potluck) – and enjoyed the simple community energy generated by this group.

Make no mistake, this is a very grounded group. They celebrate coming together to come together – not to measure their portfolios or show off their new acquisitions or any of the other stuff that people enmeshed in the throws of capitalism meet for (translation: no dick-status-measuring here!). The festival is …folk… centered on people, family, and community. There’s no better way to describe it.

Otis Redding Tribute Band

Aside from the blues/R&B band – the floor show put on by the gatherers was spectacular. This group create art with their bodies and props: twirling hoops, poi and staff generate patterns in light vs. dark as they flow across the floor.

Because this was an indoor event, and it was cold outside – they didn’t light their props on fire, but used much-less flammable LED lights embedded within their gear.

That I got to catch this amazing light-show was an honor. One I hope to repeat as an annual thing. Enjoy my shots!

It’s the first photo challenge of 2015, and the theme is “new.” Cliché? Perhaps, but clichés develop for a reason. For many of us, the year’s beginning is time to take stock of the past and plan for the future; this week, let’s get excited about those plans by celebrating what’s new.

What’s new? Well, lots of stuff is new. I got a new bra – but I’m not going to take pictures of it (you can thank me later!). There’s about 6 inches of new white stuff on the ground. Someone on Facebook posted a new meme, had a new political rant, picked a new fight with a new person, or posted a new picture of a new mod they can vape on.

Oh…let’s not forget the new -14 temp that goes along with winter in Wisconsin – it certainly made venturing out to this first Monday of the work-year a bracing morning experience!

We all love ‘new.’ The word speaks of something not-before-within-our-sensory-field. Yea…excitement! Something we haven’t come into contact with before.

Although…if New and Improved Tide gets any more ‘New and Improved’ … it’s going to dissolve your clothing…

I see new stuff every day. The clouds in the sky haven’t put out that exact patterning ever before. The people around me haven’t been in that configuration prior to this meeting. Look! New footprints in the snow!

The lead-in photo above is a new frost-pattern I captured on my window just the other day…which reminds me…my landlord really does need to think about replacing the windows in our building. What made this photo really pop are the Christmas lights in the window of the building across the driveway.

It doesn’t take a resolution at the beginning of the calendar year to find new stuff – it just takes being aware of your surroundings.

I’ll leave you with a movie quote from Joe vs. the Volcano – one that, decades later, I’ve tried to incorporate into each and every day:

My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement.

Nope. Not me. Smells cold – icy, actually. Winter temperatures have finally settled on Wisconsin. Not the snow that everyone was hoping would fall in time for Christmas – just the cold.

Now, if I lived in a sane environment, like Florida (apologies to any Floridians I may have insulted with this statement…) the new year might smell more wonderful – like the salty-tang of the ocean spray…or the floral notes from your favorite blooming garden shrubbery…but it certainly wouldn’t smell cold.

Right now, it is 4 degrees. With the winds up and ruffling everyone’s hair – the weather station says it feels like -10.

Brrrrr.

I certainly didn’t want to get out of bed this morning and make the trek through the freezer to work. The cats didn’t want to see me go, either – they’d rather I performed the much more important task of comfortably settling into my recliner to be their warm-blooded furniture with hands that gently stroke the fur. But…duty calls!

last year, on my way to work, after a ‘light’ snow.

I really should be used to this by now – I’ve lived in the frozen Mid-west all my life – and every year it gets “Wow, that windchill is vicious!” cold. Every year I re-acclimate myself to the heavy boots, the heavy coat, and gloves. Every year I leave the house a few minutes earlier than usual, so the car can have the 5 minutes it needs to warm up before I put it in drive and head to work.

But hey! – at least we’re over the sunshine dimming a bit quicker each year, and are on the upward swing toward more light each day. In this kind of cold, you gotta take whatever little happy moments you can get.

New Year’s eve is presented as a time to ‘reset.’

Facebook, and other social media, are awash in everyone declaring how they’re going to be a better person once we toss the 2014 calendars, and hang new ones.

Oh…and in Wisconsin…we’re gearing up for the Beer-fest this evening. Everyone spend the last few hours of the old year getting so sodding drunk you can’t remember the first few hours of the new one.

Have I mentioned lately that Wisconsin runs on hops?

So what are my resolutions? I don’t have any. I resolved quite a number of years ago to not do the New Year’s resolution bit…with great success, I might add.